Condenser for refrigerating machines



c. STEENSTRUP 1,873,670

CONDENSER FOR REFRIGERATING MACHINES Filed Dec. 12, 1951 Inventor: Christian Ste'ens'trup,

His Attorney.

Patented Aug. 23, 1932 UNITED STATES/PATENT OFFICE CHRISTIAN S'I'EENSTRUP, OF SCHENECTADY, NEW YORK, ASSICNOR TO GENERAL ELEC- TRIO COMPANY, A CORPORATION OF NEW YORK CONDENSER FOR REI ERIGERATING MACHINES Application filed December 12, 1931. Serial No. 580,599.

My invention relates to air-cooled cn densers for refrigerating machines of the type including piping or tubing through which the refrigerant flows, the refrigerant being cooled and condensed by the circulation of air,- which is induced either by forced or natural draft.

An object of my invention is to provide an improved condenser of this type which is of simplified construction and requires a minimum amount of piping or tubing for efiectively cooling and condensing the refrigerant flowing therethrough. I accomplish this by providing an air-cooled condenser including a substantially horizontal manifold, upwardly extending ducts or closed fluid passageways, and heat dissipating elements arranged in heat exchange relation with the ducts.

Further objects and advantages of my invention will become apparent as the following description proceeds, and the, features of novelty which characterize my invention will be pointed out with particularity in the claims annexed to and forming a part of this specification.

For a better understanding of my invention reference may be had to the following description taken in connection with the accompanying drawing in which Fig. 1 is a front view, partly in section, of my improved condenser arranged about a casing of a refrigerating machine; Fig. 2 is a plan view of the construction shown in Fig. 1; and Fig. 3 is a fragmentary front view of a refrigerator having my invention applied thereto.

In the drawing. I'have shown my invention in connection with a compression refrigerating machine of the general construction described and claimed in my United States Letters Patent No. 1,736,635, granted November 19, 1929. In the present construction this machine comprises a motor and a compressor arranged in a refrigerant containing casing 1 which is mounted on a base 2 removably supported in an opening in a refrigerator cabinet 3. During operation of the machine the compressed refrigerant gas is discharged from the compressor into the casing 1, from whence it passes into a condenser 4 where it is condensed and flows therefrom, under the control of a float valve A indicated'at 5, into an evaporator 6 supported by the base 2. The motor in the enclosing casing is controlled in response to the temperature of the evaporator 6 by a thermostatic device indicated at 7.

In accordance with my invention, I provide an. improved air-cooled condenser of simplified construction which requires a minimum amount of tubing for effectively cooling and condensing the refrigerant flowing therethrough. The condenser includes a plurality of heat dissipating elements comprising an annulus of zig-zag fins 8 secured to the casing 1, as described and claimed in my United States Letters Patent No. 1,797,- 029, granted March 17 1931. These zig-zag fins dissipate heat from the casing and the refrigerant passageways of the condenser.

The refrigerant passageways include a horizontal manifold 9 of annular form arranged in notches 10 at the lower edges of the fins adjacent the lower portionof the casing. A portion 11 of the manifold extends upwardly within a channel 12 formed by adjacent fins connected attheir outer ends, as indicated at 13 and is connected to the casing 1 at 9'. A plurality of closed fluid passageways comprising ducts 14 are brazed at their lower ends to the manifold at 15, and extend upwardly within the channels 12. These ducts are closed at their upper ends at 16 by plugs brazed therein, or many other suitable'manner.

In order to obtain a rapid flow of heat from the ducts to the fins,'so as to efficiently utilize the fins for dissipating the heat to the air flowing over the surfaces thereof, I attach the ducts 14 and theupwardly extending portioin 11' of the manifold to curved portions 17 of plates 18, preferably by brazing. I then press the plates, which are curved at their edges as indicated at 19, upwardly into the longitudinal grooves 20 of adjacent fins connected at their outer ends, until the horizontal manifold snugly fits in the notches 10, so as to support the ducts and manifold by the frictional engagement of the plates with. the fins. lhis insures good thermal contact between the plates and the fins for effectively cooling the condenser ducts 14, and the plates 18 provide additional heat dissipating surfaces. 'After the plates are se cured in position between adjacent fins, I connect the upper end of the vertical portion 11 of the manifold to the casing 1, as indicated at 9 and the other end of the mani fold to the float valve chamber 5. This arrangement of the ducts within the channels 12 protects them from accidental damage and at the same time the outer surfaces of the fins are readily accessible for cleaning.

In the present construction it is to be noted that the plates 18 are secured to the .fins between their outer ends connected at 13 and the casing 1. This construction efliciently utilizes the fins 8 as the heat flows from the ducts 14 to the grooved portions 20 of the fins, and then flows in the fins towards both the outer ends and casing 1. The heat from the casing 1 flows in the fins towards the grooves 20. With this arrangement the average temperature of the fins is a maximum, so that the heat from the ducts is efiectively dissipated to the air circulated over the surfaces thereof.

lVhen the machine is operating, the heat from the condenser and casing induces an upward fiow of air by natural draft, and cool air is thus drawn from the surrounding air and passes over the surfaces of the fins 8 and the casing to effectively cool the easing and condense the warm refrigerant gas in the manifold 9 and ducts 14. The gaseous refrigerant is condensed into a liquid in the ducts 14 which flows downwardly into the manifold 9, and the warm gas passes upwardly from the manifold into .these ducts to replace the refrigerant condensed. The liquid refrigerant flows from the manifold to the float valve chamber 5 and then passes to the evaporator or cooling unit 6 of the refrigerating machine. The liquid refrigerant condensed in the ducts drains rapidly from the manifold 9 to the float valve chamber 5 and does not entirely fill the manifold with liquid, so that the liquid refrigerant flowing from the ducts and manifold to the float valve chamber does not interfere with the flow of warm gas from the casing 1 into the manifold and the ducts.

In View of the foregoing, it will be clear that I have provided an improved condenser of s mplified construction which requires a minimum amount of tubing, because only a relatively few ducts are employed in good heat conducting relation with the fins.

Although I have shown my improved aircooled condenser in connection With a compression refrigerating machine, I do not des re my invention to be limited to the particular arrangement set forth, and I intend 1n the claims to cover all modifications which do not depart from the spirit and scope of my invention.

eaaero What I claim as new and desire to secure by Letters Patent of the United States, is

1. An air-cooled condenser for a refrigerating machine including a supporting member, a plurality of heat dissipating elements surrounding said supporting member, a sub stantially horizontal manifold arranged about said supporting member and having an inlet and an outlet for refrigerant, and upwardly extending closed ducts connected to said manifold, said ducts being arranged in heat exchange relation with said heat dissipating elements.

2. An air-cooled condenser for a refrigerating machine including a supporting member, a plurality of heat dissipating elements surrounding said supporting member, a substantially horizontal manifold arranged about said supporting member, and upwardly extending ducts connected to said manifold and having the upper ends thereof closed, said ducts being arranged in heat exchange relation with said heat dissipating elements between the outer ends thereof and said supporting member.

3. An air-cooled condenser for a refrigerating machine including a supporting member, a plurality of fins of zig-zag form surrounding said supporting member and forming a plurality of channels, a substantially horizontal manifold arranged about said supporting member, and ducts connected to said manifold and extending upwardly through said channels and arranged to form closed fiuid passageways, said ducts being arranged in heat exchange relation with said fins.

4. An air-cooled condenser for a refrigerating machine including a supporting member, a plurality of fins of zig-zag form surrounding said supporting member and forming a plurality of channels, a substantially horizontal manifold arranged about said supporting member, ducts connected to said manifold and extending upwardly through said channels and having the upper ends thereof closed, and members secured to said ducts and arranged within said channels in heat exchange relation with said fins between the outer ends thereof and said supporting 115 member.

5. A refrigerating machine including a casing, a pluralityof fins of zig-zag form surrounding said casing, said fins having slots at the lower edges thereof, a substantially horizontal manifold arranged about said casing in said slots, ducts connected to said manifold and extending upwardly between said fins and having the upper ends thereof closed, and plates attached to said ducts and secured to said fins between the outer ends thereof and said casing.

In witness whereof, I have hereunto set my hand.

CHRISTIAN STEENSTRUP. 

